Halloween again?

Tonight will be Walpurgis Night, a sort of European Halloween in the springtime. Hence the Three Js as the witches from Macbeth.

Is there anything that this blog needs to do, talk about, show, etc.? Any ideas from the peanut gallery out there about new stuff to try or old stuff to do again?

More soon when I wake up or get home.

Middle-of-the-week Day

It's appropriate in a twisted way, but the latest page added to DariaWiki was Infected. Hope everyone out there in the Real World stay healthy.

Our latest competition is Iron Chef: Barksdale Brothers, by JPAGC. Kinky.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (COMPLETE!): Jane had tried to talk to Daria the day after the battle, but she'd been brushed off with a simple “I'm fine, really,” and a change of subject. She knew she wasn't going to get anything out of Daria unless the Lieutenant wanted it that way. [Warning: angst ahead.]
• Omega Omega, by Smileyfax (Part 4): Morgendorffer let her shotgun lead the way as she stepped into the third Daria's attic. She noticed that number three didn't have any weapons on her, and wondered if she didn't wear them during daylight hours. Not smart. Morgendorffer used to not bother wearing her weapons during daylight hours, until another survivor pulled into town. [Warning: angst ahead.]

PPMB

• Apocalyptic Daria: Brave New World, by Doggieboy (preview of Part 8): Daria meets an old acquaintance while shopping. Gunfire follows.
• Apocalyptic Daria: Scarlett's Tale, by Doggieboy (preview of Part 9): Scarlett and Roger... but not as you've seen them before.
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (Chapter 3, Part 7): Batgirl carefully lifted the still unconscious Stacy Rowe onto the hospital bed in one corner of the cave, only half listening to the television broadcast being displayed on a computer monitor. Moving smoothly and efficiently, Batgirl cut away the tatters of Stacy’s competition costume and dropped the ruined garments into a nearby trashcan. She then carefully inserted a needle into the back of the girl’s hand in order to start an IV drip.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "And then, and then, a handgun jumps out of her purse, steps out on tiny little legs and shoots the guy dead! And Daria talks about it as if it was one of the most natural things on earth. But it's just not possible! I mean, I must be going CRAZY!"
  

More stuff to come.

And now a word from the Talking Heads....

Kara Wild has made an offer that this fandom cannot possibly refuse. Read and contribute ASAP. Woo-hoo!

PPMB

• Once Upon a Time in Lawndale, by Disco316 (Part 10): Angela Li, the town sheriff, sat at the main table in Flagstone's Town Hall. It was customary for the sheriff to act as the auctioneer for any property auction. She couldn't help but think it was a shame she would be unable to bid on the large piece of property being offered. Still, from the whispers coming through town, and from the group of rough-looking bandits who’d made their presence at the auction known, she had a feeling bidding on the land would be nothing but trouble.
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): Later the following week, Daria was in her room, contemplating her hydrocephalic skull replica. "Nah," she muttered at last. "Too easy."
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): There is no greater fool than he who wants to see things as they really are. Even so, that wish is sometimes granted. But know this, the fulfillment of that request is never to the benefit of the wisher.

Toozday

Hmmm, Blogger won't load my picture. Dang. Okay, here's a note that it's Tuesday and I will have more news later.

Stay tooned.

Graphic News

I'm back again, and today (this evening) is World Graphic Design Day, per Jane Lane. Celebrate as you see fit.

BREAKING NEWS: Glenn Eichler had a message for Kara Wild. Check it out, in context.

Speaking of graphic design, NomadX offers a new Daria artwork worth a long look: "Boxcar."

Richard Riordan is the latest addition to DariaWiki. Thank you, Dennis.

Disco316 has, for reasons unknown, re-edited Ronin's "The Brain and the Beauty" so that it is legible. Those interested may click the link. Don't worry, there's no artwork.

The Angst Lord Time Trials are being conducted on PPMB.

Also, new mind-boggling ficlets are appearing on Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: TGIF. Brace yourself.

FF.net

• Even in Death, by Charliefox2012 (Part 1): “Dammit, Helen,” Jake said looking through a gap in the boarded up window, “They’re across the street, they’re attacking the Hendersons!” he yelled getting hysterical. “Hamiltons, Jake, and be quiet,” Helen said coming over to the window and looking. Six zombies were on the lawn of the house, and were pounding on the windows and front door. The family’s screams could be heard.
• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 28): They arrived at the White Forest missile base several hours later. It was a flurry of activity as soldiers appeared to be preparing for an attack. Upon arriving, Grey Team was directed into the former control building for the missile silos, which the Resistance had converted back into a military installation. Aside from the still-functioning missile controls, there was a lab for the scientists, extensive barracks, a mess hall, and even a field hospital. After reporting in at the front gate, Daria and company found their way to the sick bay, where she was given an X-ray. “Yep,” the medic began, holding the print up to the light. “Two fractured ribs on your right side, the fifth and sixth. Both in two places.” [And Part 29: “Warning: Striders and Hunters inbound. All teams outside to repel."]
  
• Wristcutters: A Daria Story, by Charliefox2012 (Part 4): The girl scrutinized Daria a moment before she spoke, “Listen, my friend Rachel and I, we play this game where we try to figure out how people offed themselves,” Tania explained.
  

PPMB

• Complications, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): Jane Lane tugged at the collar of the dress that was making her uncomfortable, even more than her current activity was. David was sitting next to her looking almost as miserable. He leaned over. “Do you think they would notice if we snuck out?” Jane shook her head before answering. “Quinn already laid down the law with me. You might want to be careful Daria doesn’t hear you plotting to run away from family togetherness.”
• Expecting Trouble, by Legendeld (Part 5): Quinn sat alone at the lunch table eating hamburger with a mountain of French fries. She didn’t bother to look around at the empty seats around her. She had moved in each of her classes to have a seat closer to the door. Aside from Daria and her teachers, she was certain she hadn’t spoken to a single living soul all day. She ignored the sounds of approaching feet because she couldn’t fathom a way that it would concern her. It wasn’t until chairs started being pulled out around her did she bother to look up from her plate.
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (Chapter 3, Part 6): “Where’s your sister?” Jane asked, taking the empty seat next to Quinn. “Business,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes. “It’s still annoying, but at least it’s not like some stupid party or something. You wouldn’t believe the places she gets off to sometimes.”
  
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 8): Charles swallowed hard when he realized what had happened. His body was back to normal –or at least as normal as the Planeswalker would allow– because Daria had seen him for what he was and was so disgusted by him that she had to break their mental link. His left eye was shaking, revealing the fear he had inside for all to see. He always thought he could one-up Daria and her accusations of pervert-hood any time he wanted to, but now?
• On the Clock, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): I buried my sister today. It should have been me. If one of us was going to die, it should have been me. She wanted to save the world. At least she got to do that before she died.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): A couple hundred people were locked inside the track at Lawndale High School, from small children to the elderly. The worried and dejected looks on their faces had much more of an effect on Daria than their pale, lifeless skin. It made her furious at those responsible, as well as the guards holding rifles against her back as they prodded her through the gate and locked it closed.

Quinn - or Daria - as Hannah Montana?

Imagine either of the Morgendorffer girls - well, it DOES work better with Daria - as the globally-famous singer, trying to live her normal teenage life while also singing for her supper and being a teen fashion icon.

Quinn would have a cow that would continue on through her Master's Degree. Also, I can easily see Jane really getting into her 'Lola' persona...

So, what fics examine the idea of Daria or Quinn rocking out? Dennis has his GTS series, and I believe that TAG wrote 'Meet The Fashion Club'. (I'd place links to the fics - but dumb me - I haven't figured it out yet.)

More later - after I get someone to hold my hand and walk me slowly through '1o Better ways to post messages here.'

Away for a little

Need to go do stuff, will be back Monday or Tuesday. Maybe some of the other contributors here will contribute, if asked nicely. Party on.

LATE NOTE: Does anyone know how to save a complete website quickly and completely? If GeoCities is going down, it will take many old Daria websites with it, including some large fan fiction archives, like this one. Just wanted to bring that up.

Spring, When Fashion Is in the Air

Listen to Quinn's deep thoughts on fashion for this month. And more deep thoughts. And Sandi.

Some Daria fanfic taking place in April:

• "Changes, Secrets, and Other Disturbing Parts of Growing Up"
• "More Real Than Real"
• "April Is the Cruelest Month" (SRA art!)
• "Unhealthy Competition"

1,239 fans in the Daria Fan Club.

Most recent DariaWiki addition: Ringwraith Two.

NEW! The Ringbearer General Information Thread has been created by Brother Grimace on PPMB.


FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 27): It was already close to sundown when the Citadel had detonated, leaving Grey Team very little time before they had to stop for the night. After setting up a camp for the night, Daria took the first watch. Because of the now-open terrain and complete lack of cover, this effectively meant sitting up in the dark surrounded by sleeping teammates. It was a risky position, but also the only option.

PPMB

• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (Chapter 3, Part 5): “Daria, wake up. Damn it, Daria, I’m not going to go over there and shake you awake so you’d better be able to hear me.” Daria cracked one eye and blearily looked over at her aunt. With a small frown she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She was still dressed in her suit, with the mask, cowl, and cloak sitting on a nearby table. Computers hummed and beeped around her, and several screens still patiently presented her with the data she’d been skimming before she dozed off.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes 13.6: Broken, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): The irony of it was that, even though Jane was hurt far, far worse than she ever let on by what happened because of Tom's - well, Tom being Tom - she really did end up coming out on top.
  
• Things Fall Apart, by Doggieboy (Part 12): The pursuit through the streets Findlay didn’t even last for one block. Despite the youthful vitality that both Robert and Julie had as teenagers, their pursuers overtook them easily.
• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: TGIF), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): Roentgen continues to post his fanfic in the wrong thread, as usual.
  

Is It Back? Is It Back? OMG IT'S BACK!!!

Daria is back on MTV! In reruns, yeah, but still, it's back! (More on this development.) I can't find any other mention of Daria on the MTV schedule pages, but let's hope for the best!

Must fan myself. Mercy sakes alive, never thought we'd see the day.

More later on.

LATER ON: MDetector5 and teh sexay are on PPMB. See Helen as you've never seen her before! Unless you have some weird sex dreams. Also, Reese Kaine has made a very unusual computer movie: Soul Calibur 4: Daria vs Quinn! They fight it out with swords and kicks! And Quinn squeals! It's cool!

The Daria Fandom Drinking Game continues to get the entire fandom wasted.

Dervish has discovered a truly amazing video on YouTube relevant to all of us here. See it before it's gone!

Daria: The Collectable Card Game! More cards than ever before!

More on Sandi Griffin's marriage/dating life.


PPMB

• Don't Bet on It: The Prequel, by Lawndale Lurker (COMPLETE!): Daria's first time with Kevin. Srsly.
  
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 6): Daria briefly considered which would be less enjoyable: spending time with Tweedle-Double-Dee and Tweedle-Double-Dumb or attending the workshop in Oakwood. She mentally declared a tie and decided her sanity depended on her doing neither.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 5): "Sorry, having to probe that deep that many times is hard on a person." [Woo-hoo!]
  

For All the Tree-huggers

Today is Arbor Day, and a sad day he is. Who could he date at Holiday Island High that would cheer him up? Probably not the pyromaniac Devil's Night.

MORE DARIA WEBSITES FACE EXTINCTION! Roentgen notes in his blog that all GeoCities sites are goin' down later this year. That includes The Green Sink. Whoa. This must be why Arbor Day looks so glum. Somebody save the site while we can! And the others!

HELP THE AUTHOR: Echopapa needs some advice on his new story. Here is how it starts: Jane, still in her usual sleepwear of t-shirt and shorts, stumbled down the hallway to the kitchen, thoughts of her morning libation filling her head. Coffee. Coffee. Jane must have coffee. Wonderful, magical nectar of the Gods. I can almost smell it - wait. I can smell it! Jane stopped, suddenly fully awake. Is Trent?- No, he never makes coffee. I wouldn’t drink any he made anyway. Then who? -

My apologies for being tardy with the new fanfic list. Things do have a way of getting in the way.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Parts 23 to 25): “God dammit!” Daria yelled. “Fall back into the administrative offices and put up a barricade in the ticket office. Make them fight room to room. Use shotguns and grenades. Don't hold back, we're fine on ammo!”
• Our Time Now, by Charliefox2012 (Part 2): “It's legal, and tender, but someone's getting shortchanged! Little cross-dressers and the women who love them, coming up next on Sick, Sad World,” said the announcer and the show went to commercial. If that woman were Judy Garland, this might make sense on a couple of levels, Daria thought. She smiled sadly and sighed. She and Jane would usually be watching and making fun of this show together. She missed Jane.
• Wristcutters: A Daria Story, by Charliefox2012 (Part 2): Daria finished with the pizza and placed it in a box, ready for whoever came for it. She removed her headband, depicting the Kamikaze pizzeria logo. “I’m going on my break,” she said. [I get the impression that before this story took place, something happened....]

PPMB

• Am I Being Served? by Ajar (Part 2): "I know you need some pairs of 'trousers' to finish your art project, but did we have to come here? I'll never get the smell of stuffy out of these clothes."
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (continued): “I’m so not looking forward to this,” Daria said with a sigh as she came down the stairs. She walked over to where her aunt and sister were sitting and held her arms out. “Do I look like I’m ready to go to the nut house?” [FAN ART!]
• Love Is a Series of Burning Sensations, by Undefinedlust (Part 7): Jane sat up on the couch and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Had she really cried herself to sleep on the couch? Looking at the window she noticed it was dark out. "God, I wonder what time it is", she thought as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. Looking at the clock above the sink she saw it was eight o'clock. "Damn, they are already ..." She shook her head violently, trying to shake the image of the Daria and Tom together out of her mind.
• Phlegm Noir, by Scissors MacGillicutty (Part 2!): "But why must he use Laaaawndale High only for his interiors? I think the school's a fine example of public architecture! Besides, I can't have the interior security systems be compromised!" [One of my favorite stories, continued at last!]
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 5): That night, Daria came home angry enough to punch through walls. When she saw that Poneillius was still there and waiting to "rap" with her, she upgraded from walls to kittens. He opened his mouth, but she spoke before he could even inhale. "Say one word to me and I will throttle you until your head physically detaches from your body. Then I will kick your head through several windows and turn the rest of your body into a makeshift punching bag. After that, I will come up with something ten times more unpleasant than that to do with your remains. Understand?"
• Spirit Stick, by Brother Grimace (Parts 2 and 3): The air inside the foyer of the Pi Rho Omega sorority house was unnaturally still as the door opened, and the two Ringbearers stepped across the threshold. “Engage shields,” Archangel ordered; as he spoke, twin ovals of barely-visible blue energy appeared and surrounded the two, flickering slightly as they walked through the area. “Scan for signs of life.” “Nothing,” Valkyrie echoed. “I’m not even picking up any traces of human remains. Not good.”
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 4): Nathan paced back and forth in one of the two rooms at the Dutchman Inn that the agents had rented. "Why in the hell is that a young man is living in the same house with my granddaughter?"
• trennt and the amaizing coofie, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): I dare not spoil the majesty and wonder of this amazing tale. Click and enjoy.

Daria and the Bard

While The Bug Guy looks up the fanfics which have been influenced by Shakespeare, this post will briefly name some of the episodes that owe one or more elements to the Bard. "Cafe Disaffecto," "Lucky Strike," "The Lost Girls," "Ill," and "Quinn the Brain" all mention or describe the works of Shakespeare. Brittany at left reenacts the role of Juliet in "Cafe Disaffecto."

I have been lax about updating the fanfiction list but will attend to it later this evening. Some great stuff is out. Back to The Bug Guy.


"I can't take anymore of this Shakespeare dude, bro. He's, like, a total chick writer!"

—Kevin Thompson, Cafe Disaffecto

Roll Over, Shakespeare

William Shakespeare passed away 393 years ago today.

Something tells me that he would find this very amusing.

There's more Daria/Shakespeare crossover stuff out there, I'll track it down after dinner.
---
Okay, I've been fed.

To start with, there's KB's The Life and Death of Stacy III. There's also a bunch of stuff someone instigated here (I wouldn't know who). How about Midsummer Night's Dream? What kind of Shakespeare collection would it be without some version of Romeo and Juliet? Another light romantic comedy based on Much Ado About Nothing.

That should keep everyone reading for a while.

Spring! Ah-CHOOOO!

It is High Pollen Season again in Daria-land. Hope you are coping.

There's a PPMB thread poking about for other monsters that Ringbearers can fight. Join in with your ideas.

Moar soon. Happy Earth Day!

Good Friends, Good Times

NightGoblyn has come up with a real challenge: Iron Chef: Old School. "Write a short fic (or longer, for extra credit) in script format that ends with Daria and Trent becoming a couple." Whoa, forward to the past!

Speaking of which, Kara Wild and others are discussing scriptfics, pro and con, on PPMB.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 22): Jane woke up to a cold breeze on her face, instantly reminding her where she was. Guess we fell asleep on the roof. Her vision saw the world slowly rising and falling several inches as her head rested on Watts' chest. “I hope you used protection,” she heard Daria's voice say from behind her.
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): She waited until Sandi was fully engaged in primping before emerging from the stall. "We need to talk," she said softly, as Sandi's expression stiffened in the mirror.
• Wristcutters: A Daria Story, by Charliefox2012 (Part 1): The ground was hard, and hot. The air was dry, and the sun was bright. Daria knew that she was outside, and that it was hot. She didn’t know how long she had been here or how she got there. She didn’t open her eyes yet, because she knew that she wasn’t in Lawndale, and a part of her was afraid to find out where she was. She heard the gravel crunching under someone’s shoes as they walked over to her.

PPMB

• Am I Being Served? by Ajar (Part 1): "Ah yes, you must be the new junior for the ladies' counter. I commend you for being punctual, which is more than I can say for some of our other junior staff. Sign in for 8:43."
• Complications, by Legendeld (Part 9): Daria Morgendorffer shook her head repeatedly as her so called best friend tried to discuss one of the few topics she considered taboo. They were inside Jane’s bedroom both standing as neither had a chance to sit before Jane started venting. “C’mon Daria. It was like she was deliberately picking a fight with me and then she started kissing me. Like I would feel like making out after fighting.”
• Expecting Trouble, by Legendeld (Parts 4 and 5): “Mr. O’Neil isn’t feeling well so I’ll be finishing up this class. Consider it a study hall.” Ms. Li stepped forward to Daria’s desk and lowered her voice. “And in the future, Miss Morgendorffer, if you feel a need to emasculate one of my teachers, do it on a Friday.”
• Hell on Wheels, by Roxanne M (Part 6): "Son, your mother and I were discussing this. We like Daria and don’t get us wrong; are you sure she is the girl for you? A proper young lady would not be crawling around bars in the worse part of town, let alone getting shot."
• Kappa Daria, by Patrick Moore, a.k.a. Peapotmaster, Shadow Pumpkinhead (Part 1): (Daria/Kappa Mikey) It was Bad Movie Night at Daria’s house, with Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane watching Dragonball Evolution on a bootlegged DVD. The two teenage girls looked at each other and groaned at the TV screen. “Damn bad live action movies based on popular cartoon shows,” said Jane. (FF.net)
  
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight (Chapter 3, Part 2): Three blocks over Batgirl dropped off the top of a building into a dimly lit alley, flipping her cloak out about two-thirds of the way down to catch the air and slow to a manageable speed before hitting the concrete in a crouch. She stood and strode to the bike hidden in the shadows, tapping the spot on the back of her gauntlet that unlocked all the electronics on the vehicle. She kick-started the bike with a roar of the engine, and sped out of the alley towards the East Side. [Moar here.]
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes: Tokusatsu Team Up! by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 7): Urza rolled her eyes at the display of wasted power and tried to teleport away, not really feeling like hurting the kids over something that would go her way by the end. But when she tried to slide away, something prevented her from doing so. She leveled a glare at the Blue Ranger. “Anti-apparition wards? I know more than a few ways to travel, you know.”
• On the Clock, by Legendeld (Part 5): Time flies when you’re having fun, or knocking heads across the entire Eastern seaboard. I didn’t realize just how many rogue heroes or villains there were out there but if I could go back in time I’d of bought stock in whatever company makes the cheap capes everyone and their brother keeps wearing.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 3): "Now that you've had your chunk of uncooked cow, will you humor me for a second?" Daria said, holding up a thermometer. John put his empty plate in the dishwasher and said, "Fine." He took the thermometer from Daria and stuck it in his mouth and patiently waiting a minute. He then pulled it out and said, "Are you happy now." Daria's face lost color as she looked at the device. "No, I'm not."
• Things Fall Apart, by Doggieboy (Part 10): Butt-Head’s death depressed Beavis more than Daria or any of the high school faculty would have realized. The night that it happened, he cried for more than an hour. Helen and Jake managed to get him to lay down. She tucked him in on his bedroll and the boy cried himself to sleep.
  

J.B. wishes to remind you that...

...yesterday (Sunday) was Primrose Day, in honor of Benjamin Disraeli, whom J.B. is fond of quoting. J.B. would also like to report that, contrary to rumor, his name is not really "Pugsly."

Anyone have anything they wish to discuss? Leave a note or two in Comments.

A Rosier View of Quinn

Ten years and one day ago, the very first story appeared in the longest-running Daria fanfic series ever, the Driven Wild Universe. In "Rose-Colored Lenses," Quinn Morgendorffer (against her will) gets a pair of corrective eyeglasses, and the world is never again the same. The fandom was never the same again, either. Cheers to you, Ms. Wild, and thank you.

It's raining out at the moment, more news to come as it appears.

L8R: I've developed a quirky interest in DariaWiki in the last couple days. I am a sucker for looking up fanwork conventions used by Daria fanfic writers, and after reading through some of FF.net's collection, I hope to add more fanfic examples to various DariaWiki pages. Maybe this will stimulate interest in long-ago works or whatnot. A few new conventions have made themselves known, too: for instance, "Last Line" stories, in which everything hinges on the final words in the tale; "Gender Switch" tales in which characters change sex; and the infamous "Makeover" tales, which are not all alike. Everyone probably knows of examples of these, but it is interesting just how often some of these tropes are seen. I've been poking at family-tree revisions, too, under the heading "Multiplied Morgendorffers" (a work in progress, feel free to tinker with it and everything else I've done).

Today is also Jayne Mansfield's birthday, a 1950s starlet that Quinn pretended to be in an alter ego. More later after the thunderstorms pass.

Saturday, Hanging Around

A sort of Daria/Magic: The Gathering crossover has been started by Brother Grimace: Daria - The Collectible Card Game! Have some fun with it.

Speaking of crossovers, there's a PPMB thread on new or interesting Daria crossovers. It's right here. Enjoy.

Kara Wild brings up an important anniversary. Wow, time really DOES fly!

Does the horn go: Eeep eeep?

Brittany's car, courtesy of an old version of the MTV website. What kind of car is it? Moar later.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 19): Daria had decided to move much slower after their close call. They could hear gunfire sporadically erupting around the city, although all of it was still behind them. Grey Team was now the unofficial spearhead of the invasion.
  

PPMB

• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 2): When the dimensional portal opened, Sharon and Nathan stepped through and into a familiar laboratory. Richard, their supervisor, was waiting and waved them to a pair of seats next to a workstation and said, "Sorry for the interruption, but we have a situation that calls for Nathan's experience and abilities." "Zombies?" Nathan asked.
• Things Fall Apart, by Doggieboy (Part 10): Tatyana Petrova walked quickly down the street to the hospital located across the street from the Hotel Barentsburg. The temperature was just a degree or two below zero Celsius and, the truth be told, she’d rather be in Odessa right then. Or else on vacation on the Turkish Riviera.

Ruff

Oops, late again. It was a ruff day. More shortly (or longly, but more).

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Parts 17 and 18): Daria could feel herself shaking from nervousness. When she was younger, it had been a habit born out of her fear of dying. When she'd learned not to fear death anymore, it had become the fear of losing her best friend. As she had been promoted, it was compounded with the possibility that her mistakes might be the reason for that loss.

PPMB

• Antiestablishmentarian Hikers, by Lawndale Lurker (continued): “Do you have Tony DeMartino's cell phone number?” Linda asked him. “He doesn't have one,” Jake replied. “How about Ms. DeFoe?” “If she has a cell phone I don't have the number for it. What are you trying to find out?”
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (Chapter 3, Part 1): The figure moved across the gymnasium floor, carefully avoiding the crumpled bodies of the unconscious or hallucinating students. It seemed to almost hover forward, since all body movement was hidden by a dark, flowing cloak. Few details could be made out from the grainy, black-and-white video being shown, but the subject of the film seemed to radiate a deep sense of purpose. It slipped out the door, following the insane psychiatrist who had attacked the high school dance, and the video immediately froze.
• Love Is a Series of Burning Sensations, by Undefinedlust (Part 6): Daria paced her room nervously. Looking at the clock she saw that there was still half an hour before Tom was to pick her up. "I should really take another Valium", she thought, and deciding against using what was in her purse went to her parents bathroom and took one from one of her father's bottles.
• Once Upon a Time in Lawndale, by Disco316 (Part 9): Tom rifled through the drawer in which the models had been kept. It's got to be in here somewhere. I've found the bank, the stable, the blacksmith, the saloon, the nail salon; they're all here except for the... He looked up, and that thought process ceased as he saw the station model he'd been looking for suspended in front of his face. Holding the model in place was a hand, and attached to that hand was the arm that led to the body of...
  
• Spirit Stick, by Brother Grimace (Part 2): Five minutes later, the soldier and the blonde woman stood in the back yard of the Pi Rho Omega sorority house, looking up at the impressive, three-story building. “Yeah. This is not going to be pleasant,” the woman said, holding up her right hand as the simple silver band on her ring finger began to pulse with a series of slow, steady blue flashes.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Temporary Duty, by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): Sharon Reeve pointed to a faintly visible, man-sized shape and said, "There's your target, Gunny." As she spoke, it started to move among the buildings. "Anything else?" the man asked. "You have to make that determination yourself."
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): Daria sat alone on the roof, her back to one of the air conditioner vents. It was lunch hour, and the Li-stapo was gone, so she felt confident her alone time would not be interrupted, and she felt she badly needed some alone time.
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Love in the Postmodern World), by Scissors MacGillicutty (COMPLETE!): Daria flopped on the bed, exhausted and exhilarated from the events of the past forty-eight hours. Quinn had said that she would like college, that people were interesting and nice, but the reception she had received surpassed—no surpassed was not the right word because it implied there had been some set level of expectation that had been exceeded....

Income Tax? No. OUT-GO Tax!

Tom Sloane, disguised as a federal IRS agent from that famous annual game show, "Who Wants to Be an Ex-Millionaire Doing Time for Tax Evasion?", wishes all of you a safe and happy April 15th on your way to the post office to mail in all your earnings for the last 130 years. Don't be late!

And, as pointed out by Richard Lobinske in Comments, this is also Quinn Morgendorffer's birthday. Send her some money, too.

Legendeld has a rant he wishes to share with you.

Moar soon.

Still Just a Rat in a Cage

"The Lab Brat" premiered 12 years ago today, and "Of Human Bonding" 9 years ago. You may color the picture of Roger on the right.

FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Parts 15 and 16): “Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad plan?” Jane asked of no one in particular.

PPMB

• More Apocalyptic Daria, by NightGoblyn (continued): Daria’s guns boom in the silence, and the sterile air is filled with the reek of gunpowder. The insect skids to a halt and screeches, its antennae waving wildly in our direction. The room fills with a creepy scrabbling sound as more roaches run into the room, stopping to tear apart the wounded one. “We have to go,” I say, edging around the nasty melee in the center of the room. “We have to go now.”
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 4): Meanwhile, Daria was in her bedroom, deciding on which book to read. She had narrowed it down to either Herman Melville's first novel or Bushido: The Soul of Japan. "Hmm," she mused. "Typee or Nitobe. That is the—" [AUUUUGH!!!!]
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): The changes in Lawndale High were titanic, but though she'd been largely responsible for bringing them about, Quinn did not particularly care about them at that moment. DeMartino in the principal's office had been disconcerting, even though she'd known about it last night, and the thumps and crashed caused by workmen already removing Ms. Li's surveillance control center hardly made for a convivial learning atmosphere, but Quinn had too much on her mind to care.
  

'Cause I haven't made BG's brain explode lately.

So, I've noticed that Daria is popularly thought to be very attractive--perhaps even more so than Quinn. Since all of the characters on Daria look fairly nondescript, being somewhat simply drawn cartoon characters, fans tend to point to the climactic scene from the episode "Quinn the Brain" to support this.

After all, Daria gives herself a makeover, and anyone who's seen a movie or TV show geared toward teenagers knows that's the way to turn a humdrum teen girl into a smoking hot one, right? ;)

There's also Quinn's reaction to Daria's makeover. She feels threatened, which clinches it, right? Quinn wouldn't feel threatened by Daria's appearance if Daria was not, in fact, at least as attractive as Quinn.

Right?

I'd like to offer a new way of looking at this scene. First, there's the obvious "parody" aspect of the scene. As mentioned previously, just about every young adult movie and/or TV show has done some variation on the "plain girl puts on makeup and fluffs her hair, then becomes supermodel" trope. "Quinn the Brain" has the plain girl put on makeup and fluff her hair--then turn around and revert back to her former appearance before more than one person even sees her.

Second, many people seem to overlook the parallelism of Daria's actions. All of the events leading up to that moment include Quinn "taking over" Daria's persona. She writes, she says "brainy" things, she dresses unfashionably, etc. Daria feels threatened by this, even though we all know she has no reason to be. No one would argue that Quinn's poem about the greasy fry is a masterpiece, or that her philosophizing about school work is the most ingenious idea since Darwin. The point is that Daria sees those things as defining her, and Quinn is now being recognized for them instead.

So, when Daria decides to fight back by taking over the aspects of Quinn's personality that define Quinn, there's no reason to assume that she successfully surpasses or even equals Quinn's appearance. Yes, Quinn felt threatened, but simply because she saw someone else usurping her persona--successfully or not--in the same way Daria felt threatened by Quinn. In short, Daria's makeover is the "greasy fry poem" of attractiveness.

This is not, of course, the only way to interpret that episode. Certainly it's possible that Daria walked out of her bedroom looking like the love child of Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba. However, keep in mind that there exist plenty of women out there whose looks were between average and okay, who watched Daria in high school because they liked seeing another "average to okay" girl who reminded them that her appearance was irrelevant compared to her intelligence and sense of humor.

Am I saying there's no way Daria could possibly be attractive? Not at all. Am I saying that fandom should not ever consider Daria to be at supermodel heights of attractiveness? Nope. However, I think that, from now on, anyone who declares Daria to be the "hot" sister must also recognize Quinn as the "smart" sister.

It's only fair, after all! :-D

All the News Unfit to Print

Let's see, 12 years ago today an interview with Daria appeared in the San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle (in the Parade magazine). Of Jane, Daria says: "When I met her, she was wearing a 'New Kids on the Block' tour jacket. She's lucky she found me." Lots of attitude for those who like that.

PPMB

• Complications, by Legendeld (Part 8): Quinn winced at the shout coming from her sister’s bedroom. Daria was tearing into David ruthlessly over some kind of discussion on global politics. She didn’t hear her mother coming up behind her. “They’re still at it I see, or rather I can hear,” Helen said. Quinn couldn’t believe how calm her mother sounded.
• Expecting Trouble, by Legendeld (Part 3): Helen pulled up to the school, then turned to Quinn. “The school knows, I felt it best to get it out of the way as soon as possible because of the doctor appointments. If they so much as mention it, I want you to call me right away.”
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 6): A lone figure of Jane Lane of D-RG1993, materialized itself on the outskirts of an artificial planet. Gruesome dragon-like ‘engines’ surrounded the Planeswalker. She smirked with contempt and released a powerful omnidirectional blast that destroying each of the guards. The man that had been leading the engines was the only one that remained, although all the artificial parts of his body had been removed. He looked rather pitiful with only one arm and no legs.
• On the Clock, by Legendeld (Part 4): I can’t believe I haven’t killed someone here yet. If I have to listen to any more of Shadow and HellCat arguing over portable power supplies one more time, I’m going to just murder both of them.
  

Multiple Verses

To me, the Daria Multiverse is an incredible indicator of the creativity of Daria Fandom. Over one hundred different fictional universes are already recorded in the DariaWiki entry and more are added on a regular basis, covering everything from ficlets to long series.

Closely associated with the multiverse idea are the shared-universe stories, such as the Ringbearers and Daylight. Less formally, guest authorships in long-running series, such as Brother Grimace's "A Path of Roses and Thorns" or the shared use of fan-developed characters, like Doggieboy's Robert Nelson point to more of the shared creativity within the fan community.

Seven years beyond the broadcast of the final television movie, it is reasonable to wonder about how long fans will remain interested. In my opinion, the creativity expressed in these stories has gone a long way to sustain interest in Our Heroine and will continue to do so for some time to come. Even though the stories and background may diverge greatly from canon, the ones that fans will read over and over are those that still capture the core feeling and character of Daria and company. The scenery may change, but it is Daria, Jane and all the others that continue to hold our attention.

Not Quite the Easter Bunny

In "Groped by an Angel," Daria recalled the time that the Trix Rabbit stayed with her family and left the milk out. She was joking, of course.

Maybe.

Anyway, if you want a lot of Easter-themed Daria stories, here they are. Here's an Easter egg, too. Enjoy. And if you want to write or draw something awful involving Daria and the Trix Rabbit, be my guest. Remember: it's canon.

PPMB

• Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe... oops! sorry! by Doggieboy (Part 9): Martin Peters stood at attention as the Marine lieutenant colonel looked him over coldly. “If you were one of my men,” the officer said coldly, “I’d bust your ass back down to recruit so fast, your head would spin.”

Easter Eggs Once Again

A little Easter fun for everyone, from the Sick Sad Life Planner CD.
More evidence that the Morgendorffers are some flavor of Christian, not Jewish, etc.

For the audio, click here. Did Daria and Quinn search for Easter eggs in Lawndale?
They're kind of old for that, aren't they? Figures Jake was behind it.

Redheads and Trouble Go Together Like...

Today is the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Dale Messick, who created the comic strip and character Brenda Starr. Was the Daria of Beavis and Butt-head inspired to become an "inquiring reporter" by Brenda Starr's adventures? (The B&B episode with Daria the Reporter, "Sporting Goods," is here.)

As of this moment, I can find only one Daria fanfic that references Brenda Starr. Congratulations, BG. You win again.

More soon.

Okay, here we go:

Someone went to Horrorhound, a media convention, and complained about the lack of Daria on DVD. Interesting read.

An editorial on the "Save SFMB" movement has appeared at Fortress Cincgreen. More mental food for thought there.


FF.net

• Lambda, by SigDiff (Part 13): Outside, Jane caught a glimpse of a giant mushroom cloud rising above her. The ground shock hit an instant later, knocking her to the floor. Before she could recover the air shock reached the bunker, blasting dirt and debris past the door at hundreds of miles an hour. Inside, the bunker's window shields held, but the vacuum created by the wind threatened to suck them out of the open door. Each soldier grabbed on to anything they could find; weapon controls, computer consoles – and in one case, a foot. [Now includes Part 14, in which Daria gets very drunk.]
  

PPMB

• Falling into College 67: How Did We Get All This Stuff? by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Karen sniffed the air and said, "This sounds odd, but something's missing, some smell." "Like what?" "Like... like fish." "Fish?"

SFMB

• Daria Race War, by Bliss Ticks (Part 1): Ms. Li called the assembly for two pm, an hour before school let out. Daria and Jane filed into the auditorium with the rest of the Lawndale sheep, and saw both their principal and Stacy Rowe on stage along with two (apparently new) students. When everyone had settled in, Ms. Li began her announcement. [Not sure what to think about this one yet.]

SFMB: The Director's Cut

A serious debate is in progress on SFMB in two threads about the future of the forum. Deref has kicked off the discussions, and everyone with any interest in SFMB is invited to read and respond.

Trooble at t'mill is one thread, covering readers' views on SFMB and what distinguishes it from PPMB or other message boards.

SFMB Changes is more direct, going over ways to restructure the MB. Get your $.02 and get going.

Off to the Weekend

The weekend is upon us. What joys and wonders will we experience? Who cares. It's time for fanfic!

NEWLY UPDATED!


FF.net

• Just Friends, by Pinkminx (Part 6): Daria rolled in her bed and took her pillow from beneath her and put it over her head in a bid to reduce the severity of the noise, however the plan was foiled with the additional noise of the stereo. "Jesus, Addison, do you know what freaking time it is, Shut the hell up!" Daria's muffled voice shouted beneath her pillow, still positioned over her face.
• Our Time Now, by Charliefox2012 (Part 1): At six o’clock, the Payday finally got its power restored, and the doors opened to freedom. Daria was thankful to be free and out of the warehouse, however, she wasn’t sure of what she thought of her friend at the moment. This day was all her fault. If only she and Tom hadn’t fought, for the millionth time, Tom would have had to have suffered today, and not she. Daria felt bad at this thought and decided it was not as if Jane planned it.

PPMB

• Once Upon a Time in Lawndale, by Disco316 (Part 8): Tiffany appraised the man who stood before her. Hmm, he's not cute, he's not much of a brain if he came here, and he's way too fat to be a hired gun. I guess he must have money. Otherwise, he wouldn't be Stacy's, would he?
  
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 3): As they entered the Lane house that afternoon, Daria and Janatio heard what had to be either the thunderous final chords of a Mystik Spiral original or the band members beating each other to death with their instruments. The end result was the same, though: merciful silence followed.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "Daria, have you completely thought this through?" "I've tried to cover all the bases, Jane. Certainly, we'll have to deal with both Magda and Moctxezanti at the critical moment. That's a given. And, until then, we'll have to keep them busy until the other part of the plan kicks in. But we also have to face their zombie henchman, Beria."
  
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): Helen was the first to face the results of her actions. A late-night beep from Eric told her to be in at 7 AM, so she was up and out long before the girls or Jake woke. On arrival, she expected a mound of paperwork and the standard Schrecter excuses. if that slimy sonofabitch ever puts a move on me... In fact, what she found was Eric, almost cowering in his office. "Riordan wants to talk to you," he said, a quiver in his voice. "Don't make the man wait, Helen."

It's TGIF All Over Again!

Friday at last. Let's give a little cheer for that.

More as soon as I figure out what to post.

L8r: Now 2,316 pages at DariaWiki, thanks to the Herculean efforts of Disco316, Doggieboy, Brother Grimace, and João Paulo Costa. You rule! The latest page is right here.

Fanfic Wonderland

Imagine if Daria had opened Trent's lyrics book in "Speedtrapped" and discovered he wrote fanfic. Oh, boy. Just a random thought.

MOAR UPDATE!

FF.net

• Just Friends, by Pinkminx (Part 5): "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Boston early?" Daria paused from looking through the box on her lap and directed her attention Jane's open wardrobe.
• Lambda, by SigDiff (up to Part 12): SigDiff is posting so quickly, I can barely keep up! Go go GO! Some story: I'll give Freeman credit for one thing. He's damn easy to follow. Daria sat in the passenger seat of the truck as DeMartino drove down the beach. Highway 17 had taken a considerable amount of damage as the Combine had gone after Freeman. They'd nearly driven off of a destroyed bridge early on.

PPMB

• Antiestablishmentarian Hikers, by Lawndale Lurker/Stalker (continued): It turned out that she, Charles, Andrea, and Jennifer had brought knives. Jennifer's was a butterfly knife, which drew a few raised eyebrows. Charles's was a Leatherman Tool, with a mostly outdoors-ish blade/tool selection. Daria had brought her Champion model Swiss Army Knife. Andrea's knife surprised Daria the most. It had been hand made from a broken power hacksaw blade, Andrea said, and given to her by a guy she used to date.
• Daylight: Fallen from Grace: I Should Have Been Home Yesterday, by Disco316 (Part 5): The town of Sutton proved to be a ghost town, like so many of the others the girls had passed. Burned out buildings dominated, with a few brick structures still standing. The girls had decided to take shelter in an abandoned Catholic church across from a wall reading “Chew Mail Pouch: Treat Yourself to the Best.”
• Expecting Trouble, by Legendeld (Part 2): Quinn quickly dressed behind the curtain while her mother waited in the exam room for the doctor to return. It was a formality really; they already knew that she was pregnant. Her mother had tried to be supportive but it hadn’t gone well.
• Falling into College 67: How Did We Get All This Stuff? by Richard Lobinske (Part 3): "The place can't smell that bad," Michael said. "It's not like my old dorm room."
• Hell on Wheels, by Roxanne M (Part 5): Tom was feeling the effects of being awake all night and mused to himself that he must have been up for over 24 hours now and wondered how long you can live with out sleep. He tapped the driver on the shoulder and dispatched him to one more stop before they headed home. In short order the address came into view. He thought, It’s been awhile since I've been here; I hope they don’t keep guns in the house.
• Lame Enough at Last, by Ajar (COMPLETE!): Daria went through her standard morning routine and then came downstairs. It seemed weird not having to deal with sharing bathroom time and not having vacuous chitter-chatter around the dinner table. “Oh darn,” said Daria, “I guess I miss my Mom's scrumptious pancakes.” The realization then came that she made this sarcastic remark out loud with nobody around to hear it was a little disconcerting at first, but Daria quickly dismissed it.
• Lawndale's Finest: The Dark Knight, by NightGoblyn (Chapter 2, Part 6): “Honestly,” Helen said in her best no-nonsense voice. “What do you think you’re accomplishing, Daria? Traipsing around all hours of the night in that outlandish getup. I raised you better than this.” “I have to stop the criminals,” Daria said meekly. “A little late for that, isn’t it kiddo? I mean, if this is supposed to be about your mother and I. We’re dead, you know.”
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes 13.5: Points of Authority, by Brother Grimace and NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): “Let me be blunt, Mister Sloane. If you were wearing a U.S. military uniform, right now I’d be telling you that at this moment, this is your time to come to Jesus.” Tom Sloane managed not to look away from the death’s-head glare Colonel Kyle Armalin gave him, and considered that he’d rather be standing up or sitting on a block of ice – anything so that he could focus past the waves of anger pouring from the man who sat at the desk before him.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Gold Team: Closed Covers, by Roentgen (Part 2): The door to Gabrielle Suarez’s room opened by itself. And, likewise, it closed by itself. A conversation was being held downstairs between the mother of Gabrielle Suarez and Sandi Griffin. The conversation was being conducted in English, as Gabi’s whole family was bilingual. As it turned out, Gabi had gone missing. She hadn’t been seen in over three weeks. She was one of the few students at UTEP that had a dorm room, and she had simply disappeared. Her roommates hadn’t seen her since her disappearance. Sandi concluded that Gabi must have disappeared one week after the time she had last contacted her. Clearly, a change in priorities was in order. From revenge to recovery.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Parts 5 and 6): When the Planeswalker Daria materialized herself in the sentai’s HQ, she had a look on her face that had a striking similarity to that of a cat that had eaten the canary. She looked around, none of the Planesrangers or the Legionaries appeared to be in the meeting room. “Oh well, there goes my thunder.” “You’re late,” said a voice from the shadows. [Continued here.]
• More Apocalyptic Daria (a.k.a. Fimbul), by NightGoblyn (continued): There’s a light snow coming down as we walk towards the center of town. People smile and nod to me, but give Veronica and Daria funny looks . . . it takes a while for people to get used to newcomers around here. We turn the corner and they get their first sight of City Hall. It always throws people for a loop; the whole town is made of wood and stone, and here we’ve got this huge steel building smack in the middle. It is unusual.... Only the very old places look like that, Jane.
• Omnicides, by Lorenzo Sauchelli, a.k.a. Daisuke (Part 1): Rorschach's Journal: Friday, June 13, 1997. It has been twelve years since the lie my fellow masked 'heroes' enforced upon the world came to become a reality. The cry for help from humanity to me never came, I never got to tell them 'no'. I may as well died in vain if not for this Journal. [A Daria/Watchmen crossover] (FF.net)
  
• On the Clock, by Legendeld (Part 3): Okay, this isn’t going exactly according to plan. Ton is probably dead or close enough. Starburst and HellCat are out of the fight now that their electronics are fried. Athena is trying to keep Monk and Shadow from dying and Glitter is dragging me out of the line of fire. Crusader and Colorbomb are the only two still slugging it out. I haven’t seen WindDevil since the first attack. I can’t blame them to much seeing as I’ve spent more time on my back during this fight then I did while dating in high school. I’ve got to get back into the fight or this is going to end in a world of hurting. Now if I can just get my leg to start working again.
• Shadows and Silence, by Solaris (Part 1): "Upon you who have thought yourself so wise, so strong, so powerful, we have called a judgment. The Dark Judge has come. May the gods have mercy on you, and forgive us for what we have done."
• Something Is Rotten in the State of Lawndale, by Kristen Bealer (Part 2): "Gawd," Quinphelia said, reclined on a living room chair. "Can you believe those guys actually believe there's a ghost outside? Some people are just so, so...superficial!" "I think you mean superstitious," Janatio suggested. Daria watched her sister examine her nails for even the most minuscule imperfection, then rolled her eyes. "Who says they can't be both?"
• Things Fall Apart, by Doggieboy (Part 8): The female soldier looked down briefly and then said, "We've had to shoot every bite victim we've had after they die. After totally ruining one mattress, it was decided to place them on wooden doors that can be washed off and quickly sanitized." She looked down at the student, whose skin had a gray pallor to it. Even his eyes were drained of color. "The captain said to let you know before he goes."
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): Sandi dialed the phone. As she listened /to the dial tone, she thought about what she'd heard. Sandi was quite willing to believe the worst of others around her—the number of raging incompetents at Lawndale High was simply staggering—so seeing someone's plans fail was no surprise. But seeing several people's plans fail at once made even her suspicious of outside influences. And she knew one person who was always a thorn in her side. Finally the phone connected. "Hello," an uncertain voice said. [Continued here. And here.]